Gould Inc.

Royston L Smith

William P Ward

Maria V Rabaza

James H Thomas

An improved system bus structure for versatile use in various digital computer architecture configurations, particularly those of mini-supercomputers, and, designed to support high speed, high reliability, parallel processing of bi-directional signal transfers in a multi-port and multiple central processor unit (CPU) communication environment as between system bus units or devices. The system bus structure may be sized for a compact encasement and may carry as many as 129 simultaneous signals to and from various units connected to it. The system bus structure includes enabling structure for a centralized arbitration system, a centralized clock and synchronized transfer system, a centralized transfer monitor, a centralized parity error assessor and signalling system including transfer termination, and, a memory/inter-system inhibit system.

Bus structure for overlapped data transfer

A system for troubleshooting or debugging the various modules of a digital computer which are connected to the ports of a common system bus. A control unit transmits serial function and data codes to a serial bus link gate array whose parallel outputs are further processed to generate steering and clock commands. A first set of bus interface multiplexers are connected to each of the lines of the address, data and control fields of the system bus. A second set of multiplexers cause information represented by digital signals on selected ones of the lines in selected ones of the fields to be stored in a plurality of RAMs in response to the steering commands. A trigger logic is provided for selectively starting and stopping different clock signals in response to the clock commands. Information can be stored in the RAMs continuously until the RAMs are full, until a specified smaller amount of information has been stored in the RAMs, or until a specified event occurs, in response to predetermined ones of the function and data codes. The control unit can retrieve and organize the information captured in the RAMs for display to enable a system operator in locating faults in the computer.

Growing community of inventors

Plantation, FL, United States of America

Royston L Smith